Self-sustaining hinged toilet seat installation



R- E. WATSON Oct. 28, 1969 SELF-SUSTAINING HINGED TOILET SEATINSTALLATION Filed Sept. 19, 1966 N O 3 mw v. mE T R E B .0 R

ATTORNEYS United States Patent U.S. Cl. 4-240 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A toilet seat ring and a toilet seat cover have adjacentextensions projecting rearwardly therefrom to one side of respectivehinge posts and are pivoted thereto by elongated coaxial hinge pinshaving their end portions provided with conical braking surfaces seatedin conical bores in said hinge posts. Said hinge pins pass through theextensions adjacent their respective hinge posts into the extensionsremote from their respective hinge posts. One of the hinge pins has adriven connection with and extending into the ring extension but passingrelatively rotatably through its adjacent cover extension, whereas theother hinge pin has a driven connection with and extending into saidcover extension but passing relatively rotatably through its adjacentring extension. Threaded fasteners threaded into the ends of the hingepins and engaging the hinge posts retain the hinge pin in position andat the same time enable adjustment of the frictional braking engagementbetween each hinge pin and its respective hinge post. Hitherto certaintoilet seats have been provided with self-sustaining hinges for holdingthe toilet seat, consisting of the so-called ring and cover, in variouspositions between their fully-lowered and fully-raised positions. Priorself-sustaining toilet seat hinges have been found objectionable becauseof their squeaking noises or their rapid wear or corrosion where theyhave been constructed of metal, particularly brass; and some such hingeshave depended for their action upon a firm connection with the toiletbowl, which later failed because the loosening of the bolts cerated aclearance which in turn loosened the braking action of the hinge. Thepresent invention by the above construction provides a self-sustaininghinged toilet seat of simple and durable construction with a minimum ofparts, which is free from these defects of prior hinges and which brakeseither the cover or the ring or both independently of each other so asto render them self-sustaining in any raised position, without requiringa tight connection to the toilet bowl; also which has parts that areinterchangeable between the right-hand and left-hand sides of the seatfor braking either the cover or the ring or both.

In the drawing, FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of aconventional toilet bowl and tank installation equipped with aself-sustaining hinged toilet seat, according to one form of the presentinvention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken along theline 22 in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssection through thetoilet seat and hinge, taken along either of the lines 3-3 in FIGURE 2;and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical crosssection through thetoilet seat and hinge, taken along either of the lines 44 in FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIGURES l and 2 show a bathroomtoilet installation, generally designated 10, including a toilet bowl 12equipped with a self-sustaining hinged toilet seat 14 of the presentinvention having a novel self-sustaining toilet seat hinge construction16. The bowl 12 and flushing tank 18 are of conventional constructionand their details are beyond the scope of the present invention. Thebowl 12 has the usual rearwardlyextending platform 20 which is providedwith spaced holes 22 to receive the threaded studs 24 by which thetoilet seat hinge 16 is held down against the platform 20 of the toiletbowl 12. The studs 24 for this purpose carry the usual nuts and washers(not shown) at their lower ends and at their upper ends are embedded inthe heads 26 of the hinge posts 28, if the studs 24 are of differentmaterial from the heads 26. If, however, the studs 24 are of the samematerial as the heads 26, such as, for example, being formed of thepolyamide synthetic plastic known commercially as nylon, they may bemolded integrally in one piece. Frequently, however, the threaded studs24 are formed of brass with their upper ends embedded in the syntheticplastic heads 26 of the hinge posts 28 in order that the material of theheads 26 will have the same appearance as that of the ring 30 and cover32 of the toilet seat 14 when all are made of the same syntheticplastic, such as polystyrene.

Each of the heads 26 of the hinge posts 28 (FIGURE 2) is provided with afrusto-conical bore 34 converging from the outer surface 36 thereoftoward a cylindrical bore 38 and counterbore 40 extending to the outersurface 42. Seated in each frusto-conical bore 34 is thecorrespondingly-tapered adjacent frusto-conical end portion 44 of ahinge pin or pivot pin 46, the opposite end portion 48 of which is ofnon-circular cross-section, for example, hexagonal although not limitedto hexagonal crosssection (FIGURES 3 and 4).

The toilet seat ring 30 is provided with the usual rearward extension 50which projects over the toilet bowl platform 20 and which has oppositeportions 52 and 54 containing recesses 56. The recesses 56 receive thecorrespondingly-shaped downwardly-extending cars 58 and 60 integral withand depending from the rearward extension 62 of the toilet seat cover32. The left-hand portion 52 of the rearward extension 50 of the ring 30is provided with a cylindrical bore 64 whereas the right-hand car 60 ofthe rearward extension 62 of the cover 32 has a similar cylindrical bore66 (FIGURE 3). Both are shown in FIGURE 3 because FIGURE 3 representscross-sections on two different section lines 33 in FIGURE 2. In asimilar manner, the left-hand ear 58 of the rearward extension 62 isprovided with a bore 68 of non-circular cross-section, here being shownas of hexagonal crosssection, and the right-hand portion 54 of therearward extension 50 of the toilet seat ring 30 has a similar bore 70of hexagonal cross-section, both being shown in FIG- URE 4 since bothare of similar construction and since each receives the similar portion48 of the hinge pin 46.

Each of the frusto-conical portions 44 of the hinge pins 46 is providedwith an axial threaded bore 72 which receives thecorrespondingly-threaded shank of an adjusting screw 74. The latter ispreferably of the so-called Allen type, well known to those skilled inthe fastener industry, and passes through a washer 76 seated in thecounterbore 40. The hinge pins 46 may be either of metal or plasticif ofmetal, they may be of brass and if of plastic, they are preferred to beof glass-filled nylon because of its rigidity and prevention ofexcessive torque or twisting. The washers 76 are preferably ofmolybdenum-filled nylon because of the very slippery, self-lubricatingcharacteristics of molybdenum-filled nylon.

In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that the installeror maintenance man, by means of a suitable screwdriver or Allen wrench,has previously adjusted the adjusting screws 74 so that they draw thefrusto-conical portions 44 of the hinge pins 46 into sutficientfrictional engagement with their respective frusto-conical bores 34 thatthe ring 30 and cover 32 of the toilet seat 14 will remainself-sustained in a partially-raised position as shown in the dottedline positions of FIGURE 1. If, now, the user lifts the cover 32 to sucha partly-raised position, this action through the driving connectionestablished between the hexagonal bore 68 in the left-hand ear 58 of thecover extension 62 and the hexagonal portion 48 of the lefthand hingepin 46 causes rotation of the frusto-conical portion 44 thereof which issufiicient to overcome its frictional braking engagement with thefrusto-conical bore 34 in the head 26 of the left-hand hinge post 28.When the user releases his grip upon the cover 32, the brakingfrictional engagement reasserts itself to hold the cover 32. in itspartially-raised position. At the same time, no lifting torque isapplied to the ring 30 because the hexagonal portion 48 of theright-hand hinge pin 46 passes through the cylindrical bore 66 of theright-hand car 60 of the cover 32 without establishing a drivingengagement therewith.

On the other hand, assuming that the cover 32 has been raised, the userby lifting the forward edge of the ring 30 imparts a torque to theright-hand pivot pin 46 through the driving connection establishedbetween the hexagonal bore 70 in the right-hand ring extension portion54 and the hexagonal portion 48 of the right-hand hinge pin 46. As aresult, the right-hand hinge pin 48 rotates, and this rotationtemporarily overcomes its frictional braking engagement of itsfrusto-conical portion 44 with the correspondingly-taperedfrusto-conical bore 34 in the head 26 of the right-hand hinge post 28.When the user relinquishes his grip upon the ring 30, this brakingengagement is reestablished automatically, and the ring 32 remains inits partially-raised position.

- What I claim is:

1. A self-sustaining hinged toilet seat installation for attachment to atoilet bowl, said installation comprising a toilet seat unit,

hinge post means adapted to be secured to the toilet bowl,

pivot means engaging said hinge post means and having a drivenconnection with said toilet seat unit for rotation thereby in responseto upward swinging thereof,

one of said means having an internal conical braking surface therein andthe other means having a corresponding external conical braking surfacethereon disposed in mating engagement with said internal conical brakingsurface,

and means for holding said braking surfaces in releasable frictionalbraking engagement with one another, said pivot means including anelongated hinge pin having said external conical braking surfacetherein, and said hinge post means having said internal conical brakingsurface therein, said holding means including a threaded bore in saidpivot means and a threaded friction-adjusting fastener extending throughsaid hinge post means into said pivot means.

2. A self-sustaining hinged toilet seat installation according to claim1, wherein said fastener has an enlarged head thereon and wherein aself-lubricating washer is interposed between said head and said hingepost means.

3. A self-sustaining hinged toilet seat installation for attachment to atoilet bowl, said installation comprising a toilet seat including atoilet seat ring and a toilet seat cover,

hinge post means adapted to be secured to the toilet bowl and includinga pair of spaced coaxial braking portlons,

pivot means engaging said hinge post means and including a pair ofspaced coaxial pivot elements disposed coaxial with one another and withsaid braking portions of said hinge post means,

one of said pivot elements having a driven connection extending intosaid ring but passing relatively rotatably through said cover and theother of said pivot elements having a driven connection extending intosaid cover but passing relatively rotatably through said ring, each ofsaid pivot elements having a braking portion disposed in releasablefrictional braking engagement with one of said hinge post means brakingportions,

and means for holding said braking portions in frictional brakingengagement with one another.

4. A self-sustaining hinged toilet seat installation, according to claim3, wherein said ring and said cover have extensions projectingrearwardly therefrom to one side of adjacent hinge post means, whereinsaid pivot elements include elongated hinge pins with external brakingsurfaces thereon disposed within said hinge post means, said hinge pinspassing through the extensions adjacent said hinge post means into theextensions remote from said hinge post means, and wherein said hingepost means includes internal braking surfaces frictionally engaging saidexternal braking surfaces of said hinge pins.

5. A self-sustaining hinged toilet seat installation according to claim4, wherein said holding means includes threaded bores in said hinge pinsand threaded frictionadjusting fasteners extending through said hingepost means into said hinge pins.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,620,701 3/1927 Teich 16-1401,627,275 5/1927 Costello 16140 1,628,200 5/1927 Scott.

2,582,420 1/1952 Ellis 16-140 2,698,958 1/1955 Adams 16-140 2,787,0064/1957 Young 4 240 2,901,753 9/1959 Sperzel 4- 240 FOREIGN PATENTS482,572 7/1953 Italy.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner GEORGE H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant ExaminerUS. Cl. X.R.

